Monasticism

An Interspiritual Manifesto for Contemplative Life in the 21st Century

By RORY McENTEE & ADAM BUCKO

New

We assert that new monasticism names an impulse that is trying to incarnate itself in the new generation. It is beyond the borders of any particular religious institution, yet drinks deeply from the wells of our wisdom traditions. It is an urge which speaks to a profoundly contemplative life, to the formation of small communities of friends, to sacred activism and to discovering together the unique calling of every person and every community.

In Gratefulness
here have been many inspirations and guides on the road to new monasticism. Before we begin we must offer our deepest gratitude and thanks to all whose ideas, lives, mentorship and presence have brought us here. To name but a very few of these pioneers:FatherBedeGriffiths,RamonPanikkar,ThomasMerton,FatherThomasKeating, Brother Wayne Teasdale, Andrew Harvey, Matthew Fox, Kurt Johnson, Cecil Collins, His HolinesstheDalaiLama,DorothyDay,PirHazratInayatKhanandPirZiaInayatKhan, CatherineDoherty,MadeleineDelbrel,PierreTeilharddeChardin,FatherRichardRohr, MotherTeresa,theHermitsofPeaceatSkyFarmHermitage,BrotherFrancisAliandSister MichaelaTerrio,andmanyothers,withspecialgratitudetothoseSufiandHasidicwisdom makers for whom the world was never taken outside of the monastery...

Prologue
What we seek is an experience that transforms our lives and incorporates us into the destiny of the universe. We are looking for an intuition capable of giving us an orientation in life, even if for the time being, for our being in time.
Ramon Panikkar, The Rhythm of Being

s we look out at the world today we take inspiration from what is happening around theglobe,fromyoungpeopleparticipatinginmovementsliketheArabSpringandOccupyWallStreet,tothenewmonasticmovementamongevangelicalChristiansdedicatedto prayer and radical service to the poor; to the conversation of an Emerging Church (not a new religion, but a new way of being religious), to small groups of Muslims who are gathering together, allowing women to lead worship, and reinventing what it means to answer Gods call, to engaged Buddhism, blending the sublime practices and compassion of the Buddhist path with social activism, to the spiritual but not religious youth, who are beginning to take responsibility for their own spiritual lives outside the walls of our traditional religious institutions. Weseethesemovementsasspiritualimpulses,movingusawayfromaneraoffixeddogmatic religious formulations and embedded power structures. These impulses are awakening a whole new generation of people across the globe. These are people who are not interested inimposinganewandfixedrule,butratherwanttocommittoadailypracticeofputting aside their egos and exploring what it means to create a world that works for all; a world that is rooted in the principles of direct democracy, mutual aid, trust in our original goodness, and a radical acceptance of each individual and the unique gifts they have to offer. These movements need the deep contemplative wisdom of our human race to ultimately be successful; without this, the movements risk playing a diminished role in the ultimate triumph D

ofthehumanrace.ItisthetriumphoftheHumanSoul(intotality)thatweallawait,andour lives long, consciously or not, to serve that birth. It is only through a contemplative path, a path leading to spiritual maturity, that this service is ultimately achieved. New monasticism aims to take on this responsibility; cutting across traditions, across academic disciplines, across vocational differences, across the secular and the holybreaking boundaries and building bridges to a contemplative life for the 21st century. Traditional monasticism has long held this space for the human race. Yet traditional monasticism has seen its glory days pass by, and increasingly serves a diminished role, particularly in western society. New monasticism looks to embody this role in a substantive way; not through moral laws, dogmas,ornewcreeds,butthroughsupportingtheuniqueandindispensablefloweringof every individual and community on earth. This support comes through dedication to a deep and disciplined contemplative life and a life of service to all. New monasticism is an intra-traditional manifestation of the Bodhisattva, an incarnate symbol of our basic humanness, our basic goodness, and above all of our unity as one being. It is a manifestation of the mystical body of Christ, the revelation of the one Being among us, in which we live and move and have our being. It is to this audacious goal that new monasticism dares to foresee, more than dares, sees only it, and pledges ones life to becoming an ordinary, disciplined loving expression of its attainment.

Let us be in harmony in our intention, in harmony in our hearts in harmony in our minds that we may live in concord.
Rig Veda X

Prelude

Let us establish ourselves in the divine milieu. There we shall find ourselves where the soul is most deep and where matter is most dense. There we shall discover, where all its beauties flow together, the ultra-vital, the ultra-sensitive, the ultra-active point of the universe. And, at the same time, we shall feel the plentitude of our powers of action and adoration effortlessly ordered within our deepest selves.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Divine Milieu

he arc of our discussion will follow the way of creationwe will begin at the beginning, whichistosaywiththebeginninglesstheoriginalideaofMan,thePurusha,thearchetype of the monk. We then follow its distillation through the course of time, weaving its way intoourcontemporarymilieu,transmutingitselfintoevernewforms,yetalwaysinfidelityto the primordial impulse. We heighten our awareness as it seeps into the practical grist of our modernlivesandopenourheartsasitdisappearsonceagainbeyondthehorizonoftime. We allow that bright burning sun to stream down its warmth, love, and wisdom; on us, within us, and among us, as we give birth to the varied beauty of new monasticism For this we pray and in this we delight.

The Beginningless: The Archetype of the Monk

I speak of an aspiration and an urge. It is not because one wills it that one becomes a monk. The monk is compelled, as it were, by an experience that can only articulate itself in the praxis of ones life. It is an experience of the presence of the goal of life, on the one hand, and of its absence (of not having reached it) on the other.
Ramon Panikkar, Blessed Simplicity

antherebeapreludetothebeginningless?Nevertheless,hereourselveswefind.We begin our discussion with what makes a monk a monk, looking through the window of traditional forms into the interior dimension within the human being that gives birth to the monk. We then turn to the evolution of these traditional forms into what we call new monasticism. By evolution we imply both change and continuity; something which is not just an unfolding of the past, but which also makes use of an underlying identity.1 Throughout our discussion, and particularly in its early stages, we will make generous use of RamonPanikkarsBlessedSimplicity:TheMonkasUniversalArchetype.RamonPanikkarwas a man of remarkable cross cultural understanding, which makes him particularly pertinent for our discussion here. He was a Catholic priest, who also became a Hindu and a Buddhist, and once famously remarked, I left as a Christian, found myself a Hindu and return a Buddhist, without having ceased to be a Christian.2Inadditiontohiscrossreligiousexploration,Panikkar held doctorates in philosophy, chemistry, and theology, spoke eleven languages, and wrote insixofthem.Itishardtofindanotherpersonwhowasabletoimmersehimselfsocompletely in such diverse cultural milieus.
1 2 Panikkar,Ramon,BlessedSimplicity:TheMonkasUniversalArchetype,SeaburyPress,1982,p.92 Panikkar,Ramon,TheCosmotheandricExperience,OrbisBooks,NewYork,1993,Intro.,p.v

BlessedSimplicity,theoutgrowthofasymposiumbetweenmonasticsfrombotheasternand western traditions and non-monastic contemplatives, is a seminal work on the emergence of new monasticism from traditional forms. It reads like a symphony from the depths, and asoneyearnstoshareratherthanimproveuponMozart,wewillquotefromitextensively. Panikkarsbookputsforwardthethesisthatthemonkrepresentsaconstitutivedimensionof the human being, which he dubs the archetype of the monk. an archetype [is] a product of human life itself [and is therefore] mutable and dynamicTo speak of the archetype of the monkassumes that there is a human archetype which the monk works out with greater or lesser success. Traditional monks may have reenacted in their own way something that we toomaybecalledupontorealize,butinadifferentmanner.3 Sowhatisthisconstitutivedimensionofthehumanbeing?Thisarchetypeofthemonk?We may have no other entrance into the archetype than to study or come to know the monk as archetype.4 It is the monk who has most often represented this ideal among the human family. When we look at the monk and peer deeply into those aspects of the human being thataremostrootedinhisnature[wefindthat]themonkultimatelybecomesamonkas the result of an urge, the fruit of an experience that eventually leads him to change and, in thefinalanalysis,breaksomethinginhislifeforthesakeofthatthingwhichencompassesor transcends everything.5 Bymonk,Panikkarwrites,monachos,Iunderstandthepersonwhoaspirestoreachthe ultimate goal of life with all his being by renouncing all that is not necessary to it, i.e., by concentratingonthisonesingleanduniquegoal.Preciselythissingle-mindedness,orrather exclusivity of the goal that shuns all subordinate though legitimate goals, distinguishes the monastic way from other spiritual endeavors toward perfection or salvation6 Yetthemonkisalsoapersonalaffair,Anindefinitenumberofpeoplecanrealize,each uniquely, their own perfection. Humanity is manifold. In this sense the perfect human nature does not exist... 7 Thetransitionoccurswhenweseethetraditionalmonkasonlyonewayofrealizing[this] universal archetype...If the monastic dimension exists at least potentially in everybody, the institution of monasticism should be equally open to everybodyThe monastery, then, would not be the establishment of the monks, but the sch4 Domini, the school where that huola man dimension is cultivated and transmittedHere appears the consequence of our distinc3 4 5 6 7 Panikkar,Ramon,BlessedSimplicity,p.7 Ibid.,p.8 Ibid.pp.8-11 Ibid. Ibid.p.13

tion between the monk as archetype, i.e., the monk as a paradigm of religious life, against the archetype of the monk, i.e., the human archetype lived out by the monks, but which may also be experienced and lived today in different ways.8 All of us, at some time or another, have felt stirrings of what the monk aspires to, whether religious, atheist, or agnostic. We have all had moments of transcendence, moments of deep passion for5 justice and truth, outpourings of compassion for others in suffering, or a perfect feeling of love towards our partner or children. These moments are part and parcel of our human experience. They touch a hidden dimension inside of us. The monk is, in some sense, thepersonwhorecognizesthelegitimacyandtheprimacyofthesemoments.Sheresolves within herself to get to the heart of the matter, as it were, and to explore from whence these moments arise, to peek through the doorway into which they point. This peering eventually moves beyond a mere curiosity, and becomes the all consuming goal of ones life. Many people today, and in particular young people, may have had such immanent and yet transcendent experiences, and may be feeling deep within the enchantment of this calling, yet without the desire or need to enter into a monastery or even to follow a particular religious tradition.

Ibid.pp.8,20,28

New Monasticism: Monks In the World

May the time come when men, having been awakened to a sense of the close bond linking all the movements of this world in the single, all-embracing work of the Incarnation, shall be unable to give themselves to any one of their tasks without illuminating it with the clear vision that their workhowever elementary it may beis received and put to good use by a Center of the universe. When that time comes to pass, there will be little to separate life in the cloister from the life of the world. And only then will the action of the children of heaven (at the same time as the action of the children of the world) have attained the intended plenitude of its humanity.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Divine Milieu

he new monk is an ideal, an aspiration that lives in the minds and hearts of our contemporary generation.9 The model of traditional monasticism was one of turning away from the world, of simplifying ones life, and of ren6 ouncing many of the comforts and impulses of life in the world. Traditional monks were usually celibate, often lived apart from others and in isolation, and aimed for the blessed simplicity that would bring them into the fullness of their being.However,Thewholechallengeofmodernmonkhood,Panikkarasserts,consistsin theimpossibleattempt--atfirstsight--toacquirebyitssimplicitythefullnessofhumanlife.10

9 10

Ibid.p.29 Ibid.

ThisiswhatPanikkarcallssimplicitythroughintegrationThemodernmonkdoesnot want to renounce, except what is plainly sinful or negative; rather he wishes to transform all thingshe is not interested in stripping himself of everything but in assimilating it all.11 Asforouruseofthemonikernewmonk,Panikkarconfrontstheissueheadon,Itcouldbe that in the last analysis we would prefer to do away with the word monk altogether and findanotherlessoverburdenedone,butthiswouldnotprovethatwhatthecontemporary monk intends does not correspond to what the ancients were trying to do.12 We assert that new monasticism names an impulse that is trying to incarnate itself in the new generation. It is beyond the borders of any particular religious institution, yet drinks deeply from the wells of our wisdom traditions. It is an urge which speaks to a profoundly contemplative life, to the formation of small communities of friends, to sacred activism and to discovering together the unique calling of every person and every community. Perhapsweshouldpausehereforamomenttoelaborateonwhatismeantbycontemplative.ThomasMertonbeautifullydescribesthestateofcontemplationinNewSeedsof Contemplation. Contemplation is life itself, fully awake, fully active, and fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is gratitudeforlife,forawareness,andforbeing.Itisavividrealizationofthefactthatlifeandbeing inusproceedfromaninvisible,transcendent,andinfinitelyabundantSource.Contemplation is,aboveall,awarenessoftherealityofthatSource.ItknowstheSource,obscurely,inexplicably, but with a certitude that goes beyond reason and beyond simple faith. It is a more profound depth of faith; a knowledge too deep to be grasped in mere images, in words, or even in clear concepts. It can be suggested by words, by symbols, but in the very moment of trying to indicate what it knows the contemplative mind takes back what it has said, and denieswhatithasaffirmed13 Contemplation is also the response to a call: a call from Him Who has no voice, and yet Who speaks in everything that is, and Who, most of all, speaks in the depths of our own being; for we ourselves are words of His. But we are words that are meant to respond to Him, to answer to Him, to echo Him, and even in s7 ome way to contain Him and signify Him. Contemplation is this echo. It is a deep resonance in the inmost center of our spirit in which our very life loses its separate voice and resounds with the majesty and the mercy of the HiddenandLivingOneItisawakening,enlightenment,andtheamazingintuitivegraspby which love gains certitude of Gods creative and dynamic intervention in our daily life. Hence contemplationdoesnotsimplyfindaclearideaofGodandconfineHimwithinthelimitsof that idea, and hold Him there as a prisoner to Whom it can always return. On the contrary,
11 12 13 Ibid.pp.33-34 Ibid. p. 27 Merton,Thomas,NewSeedsofContemplation,

contemplation is carried away by Him into His own realm, His own mystery, and His own freedom.14 FromPanikkar,Contemplationisthatactivitywhichsituatesusinanopenspacefromwhich we can observe and contribute to the course of the universethat activity that delights in the well-being of all being. The contemplative life is simply life; life in its fullest sense: for some it is the discovery of the person or of the human being; for others, the discovery of the being ofallbeings.Atanyrate,[contemplationfinds]thevalueofeachbeingliesinitsbeingwhatit is, not in what it does or hasThe central point is the development of the core of the human person to its fullest in whatever sense this core or this fullness may be interpreted.15 Traditionally, this dedication to a contemplative life stressed the primacy of being over doing, while the new monk stresses the unity of being and doingtrue action is contemplative and authentic contemplation acts.16 The goal and struggle, or perhaps it is the play, of the new monk is to incarnate the fact that the spiritual and contemplative life includes action, and that action does not have to be in opposition to contemplation. In fact, action can become contemplation. The new monk works toward a new way of being in the world where one becomesanexpressionofSpirit,aformthroughwhichGodcanliveandworkintheworld, an empty vessel through which the Buddha-mind manifests. Through contemplative prayer and practice one comes upon a deep state of receptivity and listening, openness and spaciousness, and from here one senses an inner impulse and then movesinaccordancewiththisaction.Onebecomesawareofaperfectlyfunctioningfield whichfitseverythingtogetherintoaseamlesswholewiththeutmostsensitivity,love,wisdom, and compassion. This awareness is not opposed to action. In fact, without this integrated actioncontemplationcannotbesaidtobecomplete.St.TheresaofAvilacapturesthisneed for action within contemplation in Christian terms: Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks with Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to 8do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
14 15 16 Ibid. Panikkar,Ramon,BlessedSimplicity,pp.45-46 Ibid., p. 46

The new monk hears the pains and moans of a new creation taking place all around him and cannot turn away from the suffering. He feels that the shaping of this world is a religious and even a contemplative concern not alien to or at odds with the monastic vocation [and findsthat]thedemonsandasurasofthecoldandlonelyregionshavebeenconvertedinto the shouts and cries of the human milieuthe daily papers with their news have been convertedintospiritualreading.(BS-43,50)Themodernmonkfeelsattherootofhissoula calling to the contemplative life, but cannot renounce the secular world because he does not believe it to be secondary; cannot renounce activity in the world because he believes this to be indispensable.17 This leads the new monk into a radical intuition of the holiness of the secular. This is one area where the evolution we spoke of in the beginning may be seen more clearly. By secular, we refer not only to a peculiar independence from any particular religious institution, but also, in a mysterious sense, to an independence from a purely eternal and immutable nature of things. In other words, by the holiness of the secular, we mean the holiness of all that exists inthisworld.Panikkardescribesthesecularasthetemporalcharacterofthings,andgoes on to describe this intuition: This temporality is now being taken not only as something that matters,butassomethingdefinitive.Insteadofbeingjustfleeting,passing,ephemeral,the temporalstructureoftheworldnowrepresentsacoefficientofrealitythatcannotbeeliminated[it]isnolongerconsideredsomethingyoucandispensewith,orevenutilizeinorder to reach something more important.18 The modern monk tends towards the secular, without thereby diminishing his pursuit of holinessSecularityrepresentstheaffirmationthatthebody,history,thematerialworldandall temporalvaluesingeneralaredefinitiveandinsuperablethatitislegitimatetobeinvolved in temporal affairs, that time has a positive value, and that the religious person must occupy himself with reforming the very socio-political-historical structures of realityIt means the incorporation of the divine in the human and its impregnation of all the structures of the materialworldIfthisrepresentsamutationintheconceptionoftheholy,itequallysignifies a parallel revolution in the experience of the secular. The secular is no longer that which is fleeting,provisional,perishable,contingent,andsoforth,butisrathertheveryclothingofthe permanent, 9the eternal, the immutable19 This intuition naturally leads the new monk into all areas of the human arena, notably into the areas of embodiment, intimate relationships, environmental concerns, community building and politics. The new monk sees the body as a holy incarnation and part of her spiritual work is in maintaining a healthy, nurturing and transformative relationship with it.
17 18 19 Ibid.,p.83 Ibid.,p.60 Ibid.,p.55-56

New monasticism also encourages intimate relationships, both deep and meaningful friendships and committed and loving sexual relationships. New monasticism is concerned with discovering the divine nature and proper place of all relationships. It is not opposed to celibacy;ratheritrecognizesitasaprofoundandgenuinecalling,albeitarareone.However, itequallyrecognizesthatcelibacyisnotanecessityfortheworkingoutofthearchetypeof the monk. Newmonasticsacknowledgethegapbetweenidealizedintimaterelationshipsandthereality that is most often lived out, and call on each other to help heal these wounds and to build true intimate relationships based on integrity, trust, spiritual friendship and love. They want to see the spirit enter into all arenas of human life, and because of this seek a spirituality that is not exclusively spiritual10Not only will [they] not scorn any human value, but [they] actually attempt to cultivate them allthe monk loves everything that exists and is even passionate about everything human, without excluding the material and the temporal.20 It may be said that the new monk hears the words of Jesus not only as The Kingdom of Heaven is within you, but equally and perhaps more substantively as The Kingdom of Heavenisamongyou.Theyfindtheneedtoworkouttheirsalvationthroughrelationshipswith each other, with the Kosmos, with their work in the world, and with Ultimate Reality; however they may conceive of or be initiated into It. As such, no human endeavor remains beyond their reach, and it is in their struggle to uplift all they see as valuable in the humanconditionthattheyfindtheirunitywithoneanother.Theyfeelthemselvesparticipating in the ultimate act of creation, the incarnational act of bringing spirit into form and transmuting form into spirit. Another point of departure from the traditional role of the monk comes in the area of spiritual direction. More often than not, the new monastic is not drawn to the traditional ideas of obedience to a superior or total dedication to a guru. While respecting traditional rolesandmanyofthesuccessestheyhaveborne,thenewmonasticfindsspiritualdirection most often in the depths of spiritual friendship. A story that illustrates this new inclination comes from a time when one author approached a quite popular spiritual teacher to ask him if he would be his spiritual director. The teacher replied, Under one condition; that you will be my spiritual director as well. Thenewmonasticrecognizesbeyondanydoubtthenecessityofelders,theneedforspiritual direction, and the great gift afforded to her by those who have advanced further along than she.Shestrugglestodevelophersenseofdiscernment,andherspiritualmentorsareindispensibletoherasameanstoreflectbackherowndecisionmakingprocessandwithwhom tocheckherinsights.Sheseesthisspiritualdirectionasthemostprofoundblossomingof
20 Ibid.,p.55-56

friendship. Friendship becomes the keynote of the new relationship between mentor and mentee, between teacher and student. One is reminded of the apocryphal story of the Buddha and his attendant, Ananda. Ananda asks, Dear Buddha, is spiritual friendship half of the journey to enlightenment? The Buddha replies, with a grand smile, No Ananda, it is the whole of the journey. Thisnotionofspiritualfriendshiphelpsthenewmonktorecognizetheimportanceof humancommunities,whichishowonemightdefinepoliticsinitspuresense.Heorsheis interested in building communities that are sustainable, infused with a sense of the sacred, and support their members to discover and live out their sacred vocation in the world. The efforts to build sustainable and enriching communities extend beyond a mere comfortable existence for themselves. In it, they see part of their mission to help all of creation; to show once again how human beings can live in supportive, sustainable and nurturing environments. Their care extends not only to others, but to the natural world around them and to all living creatures. The new monk may be an artist, a scientist, a spiritual teacher, an elementary teacher, a social worker, a waiter. It is not so much the job that matters, as the place from which they approach their work. Their work cannot be separated from their spiritual path. They endeavor to bring a heightened awareness, intimacy, and authenticity to their work, whether this may be washing dishes or feeding the poor. Obviously, there are some professions that the new monk could not participate in, such as ones involved in the building of weapons, open degradationoftheenvironment,ortheexploitationofothersforprofit.Mostprofessions,however, are not only open to new monastics, but are in desperate need of the mindfulness, kindness, and infusion of grace that they endeavor to bring into their lives. Monetary considerations matter not to the new monk, yet she is not nave in these matters. Sheunderstandsthewaythemodernworldworks,andispledgedtoworkintelligently within it, but she cares not for the convenient notions of success in our modern age, too manyofwhicharebutthinlyveiledaggrandizementsoftheegoandexcusesfortheexploitation of our environment and other human beings. Our modern productive society is but a sad andephemeralnotionatbestforthenewmonk,andatworstisaninsidious,demoralizing,and demeaning way of life for the human spirit. To the modern monk, a truly productive society wouldallowampletimeforleisurelyretreat,prayer,meditation,andreflectionofthesoul. Thekeypointmaybesummarizedasthenewmonasticdoesnotseeasplitbetweentheir inner and outer lives. The new monk is in the world but not of it, as Jesus taught us to be. He playfully plays the game [of life in the world]but does not abide by the rulesand in playing changes some of the rulesat the risk of his life, obviously. For by changing the rules O

he will eventually change the game21 For the new monastic, there is only his or her life and how that life may best serve the greater whole. This is an intensely personal movement for each individual, and the question of vocation becomes an important one for the new monastic. The new monk must struggle with this question of his calling, for it is as unique as ones own individuality. This discovery of ones vocation, calling and gifts is once again about the unity of contemplation and action. Contemplative action arises from receptivity and listening, some may say that the action arises from a consenting to Gods action in us, or from a clear and subtle perceptionoftheprimordialworkingoftheBuddha-mind.Thisactionmaytakeaninfinite number of distinctive forms; however, it is essentially action as an expression of healing, wisdom, compassion and love. The action itself is very unique to who we are and to the situationwearein,andutilizesallofourlifeexperiencesandgifts.Itisanactionthrough which we truly become who we were born to be. Once it arises out of the contemplative space we have created in our lives, our crucial responsibility is to say yes to it. This requires not only willingness, but also patience and discernment. In doing this, we begin to answer the universal calling to incarnate the fullness of our being and begin to bring a transforming love into the world. True contemplation is not really contemplation in its fullest sense until it includes this yes, and within this yes also arises a no. This is a no to all the elements of this world that violate our love, compassion, and sense of justice. Through this process arises the prophetic voice of the new monk, the SacredActivismofAndrewHarvey,theprophetasaMysticinActionalaMatthewFox, andtheconscientizationofBrotherWayneTeasdale,theawakeningofadeeperawarenessof problems that require of us some kind of response, especially where people are suffering.22 This requires the new monk to think deeply and intelligently about his actions, and about howthoseactionsaffectthewellbeingofall.Thenewmonkrecognizesthatallofhisactions have universal consequences, whether arising from a contemplative space or not, and his goal is to allow all of his actions to arise from his contemplative reservoir. He endeavors to discover his true calling, how he may best serve the Kosmos, and trusts in the inner action of his spirit. This is not an individual project, but proceeds in discernment with his mentors and sangha, or community of spiritual friends. 11 In the end, it is the persons dedication to an engaged, contemplative life and a life of intelligent service to all beings that makes one a new monastic. The new monk seems to be tasked withtheimpossible;tobuildnothinglessthantheKingdomofHeavenonEarth.Shecannot
21 22 Ibid.,p.93 Teasdale,Wayne,AMonkintheWorld:CultivatingaSpiritualLife,NewWorldLibrary,2003,p.138

justteardowntheoldsociety.Sheispledgedtobuilditnotjustforherself,butforeveryone. Especiallyforthosewhofindthemselvesonthebottomrungofoursociety,thepoorand oppressed,thecriminals,thementallyafflictedandsexuallyabused...thesaltoftheearth as Jesus told us. Yet her compassion does not stop there, with her keen eye the new monk sees the desperationinthefacesofWallStreetandthelonelinessanddespairofsoulofsomany of the rich and privileged, and she works for them as well. The religious fanatics, who have so twisted the spirit and message of love of their founders, also fall within the breadth of her compassion. The new monk is to build this new world not by violence, but through the forceofhercompassion,propheticvoice,wisdom,andlove;andthroughthemobilizationof all those who will stand with her. That is the work of the new monastic, to incarnate a new worldthatwillallowfortheuniquefloweringofthespiritofeveryindividualandcommunity on Earth.

Building Bridges: Contemplative Life in the 21st Century

Time is not an accident to life, or to Being Each existence is tempiternalever old and ever new. Our task and our responsibility are to assimilate the wisdom of bygone traditions and, having made it our own, to allow it to grow. Life is neither repetition nor continuation. It is growth, which implies at once rupture and continuity. Life is creation. If creation is an act of contemplation, as Plotinus says, real growth would be to reenact in a contemplative way our partnership in the very creative activity of reality.
Ramon Panikkar, The Rhythm of Being

n the beginning we spoke of an evolution, implying both change and continuity; something which is not just an unfolding of the past, but which also makes use of an underlying identity.23 As we speak of contemplative life in the 21st century we now turn our sights to a fundamental element of success for the new monastic movement, the relationship between our living spiritual elders and the new monk. By our elders, we refer to those precious souls who have gone before us in their journey to spiritual maturity, the vast majority who have 2 done so mainly within the structures 1of established wisdom traditions. Father Thomas Keating, a Catholic Benedictine monk highly regarded as a spiritual master, poses a question of great importance to the new monk: [T]he most precious value that the world religions have in commonistheiraccumulatedexperienceofthespiritualjourney.CenturiesofSeekershave
23 Panikkar,Ramon,BlessedSimplicity,p.92

discoveredandliveditsconditions,temptations,trials,developmentandfinalintegration.This wealth of personal experience of the transcendent bears witness to the historical grounding of our contemporary search. It is not just a passing fad. At the same time, this vast reservoir ofpracticalwisdominheritedfromthepastraisesanimportantquestionforSeekers.Can one transcend the empirical ego and false self without plugging into the spiritual tradition of one of the world religions?24 Thenewmonkrecognizesthattheworldswisdomtraditionscontainwithinthemthewisdom, transmissions, and lineages she aspires to assimilate within her and give birth to in the modern world. Much of this wisdom is contained not only in our elders words, writings and presence, but also in the structures that have grown up around the attempts to pass on the wisdom of the tradition. These structures themselves help to curtail certain dangers along the path,andhavebuiltinmechanismstohelpseizeandguidethosemomentswhenthespiritual path reaches one of its many climax points. Like a cat at the mouse hole, spiritual directors andthemethodstheydevelophelpustorecognizethesemomentsandtoremainalertand ready for them. They also subtly direct our efforts and orient us so that our struggles may bearfruit.Perhapsmostimportantly,theyserveasatrustedculturalbackgroundandtesting board for us to hone our own powers of discernment and discover our unique truth. It would seem that they are indispensible fountains of knowledge for the spiritual aspirant, of which certainly the new monk is. Yetwemustrecognizethatwearelivinginmanywaysinapost-religiousandinterspiritual world. Many young people no longer connect in such a profound way with our wisdom traditions.Inrecentsurveys,around30%oftheAmericanpopulationdeclaredthemselves spiritual but not religious25,andthisnumberballoonedto75%ofAmericansbetweenthe agesof18-29!26 As for the future of monasticism, the worlds wisdom traditions are struggling mightily to recruit young monastic vocations. The language of our religious institutions is no longer speaking to young hearts and souls. Can the answer to our contemporary situation really be to tell young people they have to connect with a religious institution in order to come to spiritual maturity? Is it possible that the impulse driving people beyond the walls of establishedtraditionsisitselfanincarnationoftheHolySpirit?13 We believe that here we are seeing the need for a new movement; a movement that can respond to the needs of todays changing world while preserving the deepest truths and insights of our wisdom traditions. We, as a generation that is still in touch with our elders, have a solemn obligation to assimilate and pass on this wisdom to the younger generation. However, in doing so, we cannot just pass on traditional forms, for those no longer speak to
24 25 26 Keating,Thomas,SeekersofUltimateMystery,ContemplativeOutreachNewsletter,June2010 Newsweek,2009 Clayton,Phillip,LettingDoubtersintheDoor,L.A.Times,March25,2012

so many of our youth. Instead, we are being asked to translate those truths in a way that they can be relevant to some of todays most pressing questions and younger minds. We need a movement that can articulate a new universal framework, a framework for a contemplative life in the 21st century. This framework must be able to inspire a new contemplative life and newcontemplativecommunities,onesthatwillchangehearts,transfigurelivesandrelationships, and help us to birth a new world. In this endeavor we need the wisdom and guidance our elders can provide. Hence we see the importance of this dialogue and a mutual desire and need; the need for our elders to pass on their wisdom, and the need of the new monk to receive, assimilate, and translate it for a new generation. This synergistic relationship between the keepers of the collective spiritual wisdom of our planet and the path to be incarnated by these new monks is of prime importance; bridges must be built. In light of this, and in consultation with some of our most respected elders and mentors, we call into lifeTheFoundationforNewMonasticism.Thisnon-profitfoundationwillbeaninter-generational alliance that is dedicated to reaching and inspiring the younger generation to commit to a contemplative life and help them with the resources to build their lives around that. It will endeavor to birth a universal network of contemplatives that brings together some of our most esteemed elders and young contemplatives to.The Foundation will initially concentrate on four main projects (which are described in greater detail following the epilogue): one dedicated to college campuses and vocational work, a longer term seven year formation process leading to a full commitment to the path of a new monastic, a publishing company dedicated to mentoring young contemplative voices and dialogues with elders, and a small new monastic ashram and hermitage in order to incarnate a sacred space and symbol of the new monastic life. We feel that if properly nurtured it can provide an opportunity for contemplatives, young and old, from various traditions, to be present with each other in a way that these new inspirations are calling us to; a way that is intimate, democratic, and reciprocal. We envision a model advocated by the founder of the Quakers, George Fox; one of being present with eachotherinawaythatcanenablethewisdomoftheHolySpirittocomethrougheveryoneparticipating.This, we trust, will inspire friendships, communities, and new frameworks for doing contemplative life in the 21st century. Weenvisionthisnewframeworkasahighlydecentralizedandyetinterconnectedwayof incarnating unity in diversity. It will embody a new type of leadership, a new way of building spiritual communities, and a new way for elders and youth to collaborate with one another. This new leadership becomes more about being able to relate to others in a way in which transmission becomes possible, allowing everyone to discover their gifts and offer them to the whole, and share them in a way that is free and non-hierarchical. At times it may not even be clear who the leader is, for leadership just happens as everyone discovers their gifts and engages them in service of compassion and justice. We envision all communities subscribing to some general principles, but being free to T

actualizenewmonasticisminawaythatfeelstruetotheirvocation,asindividualsandas communities.Somecommunitiesmayreflectamoreformalmonasticlife,withvowsand robes, while others may be very much embedded in the world, yet deeply centered in the contemplative way of life. Each one could create a path that is integrated, that does not see contemplationandactivismasopposingfactorsinlife,andthatiscommittedtotransfiguring all domains of life, be they personal, institutional, religious, economical, or political. Individuals within a community could embody different vocations as well. These communities become a way for those who aspire to a contemplative life to come together and begin to build the Kingdom of Heaven one friendship at a time. This can be true of small networks of friends as well as larger intentional communities. Each community will have a unique expressionandeachmayhaveaslightlydifferentspirituality.SomecouldbeChristian,some Hindu, some Muslim, some Buddhist, some Jewish, some a mix of two or more traditions, and some more purely interspiritual...yet all would have a resonance with basic principles. 14 What are these basic principles? His Holiness the Dalai Lama begins to articulate them in his new book, Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World. In it, His Holiness argues that the timehascometofindawayofthinkingaboutspiritualityandethicsthatisbeyondreligion,27 and he attempts to create a basis of shared values through what he calls inner values. By inner values I mean the qualities that we all appreciate in othersWe all appreciate the inner qualities of kindness, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, and generosity, and in the same wayweareallaversetodisplaysofgreed,malice,hatred,andbigotry.Soactivelypromoting the positive inner qualities of the human heart that arise from our core disposition toward compassion, and learning to combat our more destructive propensities will be appreciated by all.28

U
27 28 TheDalaiLama,BeyondReligion:EthicsforaWholeWorld,HoughtonMifflinHarcourt,2011,Intro.,p.xv Ibid.,p.xi

AnInterspiritualPath
The essential marvel of the divine milieu is the ease with which it assembles and harmonizes within itself qualities which appear to us to be contradictory In the divine milieu all the elements of the universe touch each other by that which is most inward and ultimate in them. There they concentrate, little by little, all that is purest and most attractive in them without loss and without danger of subsequent corruption At the heart of the divine milieuthings are transfigured, but from within. They bathe inwardly in light, but, in this incandescence, they retainthis is not strong enough, they exaltall that is most specific in their attributes.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Divine Milieu

hewordinterspiritualwasfirstcoinedbyBrotherWayneTeasdalein1999inhisbook, TheMysticHeart:DiscoveringaUniversalSpiritualityintheWorldsReligions.Inthelast decade, the interspiritual movement has exploded onto the scene, now registering close to 50,000hitswhensearchedonGoogle.Thewordwasusedtodenotethephenomenonof the worlds wisdom traditions moving beyond interfaith dialogue (which refers to the traditions coming together to learn about one another, their beliefs and rituals, and engendering deep respect and trust with one another through dialogue) to the actual sharing of spiritual technologiesandmysticalrealizationswitheachotheronanexperientiallevel.Italsoconnoted a dawning recognition that the worlds wisdom traditions, far from being at odds with V

each other, could be viewed as a common heritage of humankinds spiritual wisdom; varied insights scattered like so many precious seeds among the religions are viewed as belonging to the inclusive domain of the mystical.29 15 Brother Wayne intuited the spiritual but not religious movement, and predicted that interspirituality would embody the future direction of humanity. The real religion of humankind can be said to be spirituality itself, because mystical spirituality is the origin of all the world religions. If this is so, and I believe it is, we might also say that interspiritualitythe sharing of ultimate experiences across traditionsis the religion of the third millennium.30 Dr. Kurt Johnson, in his new book The Coming Interspiritual Age, makes a powerful argument for seeing the interspiritual movement in the context of humankinds evolutionary process. Dr. Johnson describes interspirituality as the natural discussion among human beings about what we are experiencingabout who we are, why we are here, and where we are going interspirituality is [also] the movement of all these discussions toward the experience of profound interconnectedness, unity consciousness, and oneness.31 Dr. Johnson goes on to further expand upon Brother Waynes vision, the primary vector of our species spiritual and ethical development wasnt any one of the worlds countless spiritual paths, but the shared direction of all of themtheir historical development has been a single experience on behalf of humankindan unfolding existential convergence continuingtothisdayanddefininganaspectofthematurationofourspeciesInterspirituality,then, starts from a different understanding of religion. Even as a teaching, it begins with the view that the entire religious experience of our species has been a single experience that has been unfolding through many lines and branches, together empowering our species for ever higher evolution.Inotherwords,interspiritualityrecognizesacommonexperiencewithinallspirituality. It acknowledges a shared origin, shared process, and shared maturing.32 Interspirituality in this context is concerned with the human family as a whole. This leads one to an intuition of what might be called the tradition, the human tradition. The human tradition seesallofHumanityintheevolutionaryprocessofmaturation.HereHumanityfindsitself responsible not only for all of its constituent parts, fellow human beings, but also for all creatures on our planet and the well being of our mother earth, Gaia. The human tradition recognizesthattoshoulderourresponsibilitywemuststriveforspiritualmaturityandfind ways to assimilate and pass on the collective wisdom of our race. This tradition knows no
29 30 31 32 Teasdale,Wayne,AMonkintheWorld,p.175 Teasdale,Wayne,TheMysticHeart:DiscoveringaUniversalSpiritualityintheWorldsReligions,New WorldLibrary,1999,p.26 Johnson,Kurt,TheComingInterspiritualAge,NamastePublishing,2012 Ibid.

bounds except those of the human race itself. In this blossoming, we are all integral parts, yetweallalsocontainthewhole.Themicrocosmisareflectionofthemacrocosm. Sohowisthenewmonktoapproachthisunderstandingintermsoftheirownspiritualpath? To be sure, some new monks are and will be called to incarnate their path within a particular established wisdom tradition. Yet they must also be willing to view paths other than their own aswhollylegitimateonesleadingtospiritualmaturity.TheVedantaSociety,themonasticorder based around the spiritual genius of Ramakrishna, an Indian saint, embodies this philosophy. WithintheVedantaSocietyitselffourmainpathsarearticulated;thepathofbhaktiyoga, thepathofdevotionallove;karmayoga,thepathofselflessservice;jnanayoga,thepathof knowledgethroughnondualrealization;andrajayoga,theroyalpathofmeditation. However, practitioners are asked to choose only one path and concentrate on that. Even very advanced practitioners are discouraged from engaging more than two. Yet, all paths are recognizedaswhollylegitimateandfruitful,asarethepathsfoundinotherwisdomtraditions outside of the Vedantic tradition. Many new monks will also be called to follow the path that has been carved out by the majority of our elders. This consists of growing strong roots in one tradition, and from that vantage point branching out to drink deeply of the wisdom of varying traditions. This can beseenintheexampleofChristianmonksbecomingZenroshisorcultivatingtheadvaitic experience(non-dualrealization)foundintheHinduVedasandUpanishads.Therearemany examples of this path, including the examples of Thomas Merton, Father Thomas Keating, BrotherDavidSteindl-Rast,FatherBedeGriffiths,BrotherWayneTeasdale,andmanyothers. This path has been so popular that it has become somewhat of a clarion call among many ofoureldersthatoneshouldbecomefirmlyestablishedinaparticulartraditionbefore experimenting with others. 16 However,thenewmonkmaynotalwaysfindoneofthesemoretraditionalpathstobethe case, and there are other roads the new monk may take. There is the way of multiple religious belonging, recently discussed eloquently by Matthew Wright, a young contemporary new monastic, in his Masters of Divinity thesis, Reshaping Religion: Interspirituality and Multiple Religious Belonging. This path includes visionaries such as Lex Hixon and Father Henri Le Saux,alsoknownasAbhishiktananda.Thispathconsistsoffullyembeddingoneselfinmultiple religioustraditions.AsWrightexplains,Suchapersondoesallshecantotrulyunderstand the new tradition from the inside outtaking initiation and involving herself in the community, worship, study, and prayer of the second tradition, while also maintaining the similar requirements of her original tradition. As is obvious, this requires hard work, and it is not for everyone. Because of this, I place multiple belonging in the special category of vocation. It is essentially an act of faith, and one must be so called33
33 Wright,Matthew,ReshapingReligion:InterspiritualityandMultipleReligiousBelonging,M.Div.Th.,2012,p.12

Different religious traditions, on the level of doctrine and historical formulation, are often contradictory, and the multiple-belonger must confront this reality head on, if they are to maintain honesty and integrity. They stand fully in both worlds, allowing the apparent contradictions,andoftenhistoricwoundsinflictedbyonetraditionontheother,intotheirsouls. Out of this tension, one waits for something creative and healing to emergewhich requires deep trust in the calling.34 There is also a more wholly non-traditional path, which we would like to discuss more fully here, as it has been the path traversed by the authors. It is perhaps the least articulated one to date. For lack of a better word, we refer to it here as an interspiritual path, though we note that all of the ways mentioned above may be considered interspiritual. This interspiritual path may not include being fully embedded in any of the existing wisdom traditions. It stems from a universal recognition of the potential of the human being for spiritual maturity as the basisofonespath,andcognizesclearlytheinterspiritualvisionofthewisdomtraditionsasa common heritage for humanity. It also hints at a more radical understanding of our spiritual traditions. Not only are they all paths to spiritual maturity, but in a mysterious sense one feels that they may complete one another. 17 EachwisdomtraditionmayholdapuzzlepieceastotheultimatefloweringofHumanity. Thisviewrecognizesthateachtraditionhasexploredandemphasizedsubtledifferencesof the human experience, thereby becoming experts on differing aspects of our human potential, as well as discovering potential pitfalls and ways to navigate them as we journey along our path. Each tradition contains pure gold nuggets of human understanding, but none have a complete picture. In this understanding of interspirituality, each tradition is both teacher and student, having both something to offer and to learn. In The Mystic Heart, Brother Wayne proclaimed, In the end, I am convinced that the religions complete one anothers understanding of ultimate reality.35 Ifthenewmonkfindshimselfonthispathitwillmostlikelybeoutofasenseofbeingguided into it. However, there are dangers that one should be aware of when embarking on this path. It should not be undertaken simply out of a sense of curiosity or exploration. While thosetraitsareencouraged,theyarenotsufficient.Thispathrequirestheguidanceofelders on traditional paths and a high level of integrity and responsibility. The new monk must be keen to dig deep rather than shallow wells, to choose ones spiritual mentors wisely, and to remain vigilant of the confrontation with ones own ego. One must avoid the new age pitfalls of walking a shallow spiritual path that comforts rather
34 35 Ibid. Teasdale,Wayne,TheMysticHeart,p.26

than transforms the ego. One thing the new monk can be sure of; that he will encounter parts of the journey in which he will shrink from the true transformative process of the contemplative life, as have all who have gone before him. Demanding as it does, perhaps many times over, an uncompromising death process, the new monk on this path must soberly asses whether without the framework of a traditional wisdom tradition and the guidance of an established spiritual mentor who has walked the territory before him, will he really be able to see himself thru? One might ask, why even mention a new path? Is not the spiritual path already fraught with suchdifficultythatwemaybeonlyaddingburdenstoanalreadyHerculeantask?Andwho cannot doubt these pitfalls as one surveys the deadened spiritual milieu of the new age, the shallow feel-good and positive thinking spiritual paths, too afraid to confront their shadow anddealwiththedarkcocoonofspiritualalchemy?Thisisadifficultquestiontoanswer.Perhapsitwillsufficetosaythatthenewmonkonthispathhasadeeplyfeltsensethatitwould be a rejection of her true path to do otherwise. ShefeelsattherootofhersoulthatherrelationshipwithGod,heridentitywiththeBuddhamind,LifeItself,hasguidedherintoit;andcontinuestoguideherthroughit.Herfidelityis tothisimpulse,tothisinspirationofSpirit,andshecouldnomoreridherselfofitthanshe couldherownheartbeat.Sheseeksandneedstheguidanceanddiscernmentofherelders, but her spiritual maturity, her path, is ultimately her own responsibility, and belongs to her and her alone. The fruits of her path belong to all. We have found that an invaluable aspect of this path, in addition to a disciplined, daily spiritual practice such as meditation, mantra recitation, or present moment and awareness practices, is building relationships and receiving spiritual direction from our elders. When this is done with integrity, respect, humility, surrender and deep spiritual yearning, one may receive from these elders a true and authentic spiritual transmission. Yet this transmission is not based on ones complete acceptance of the elders tradition. It includes elements of the tradition, but is in essence the elders experience of Ultimate Reality as he or she has experienced it within their tradition. They are passing on their lived experience of this human life and its relationship with Ultimate Reality. This infusion process requires a certain humble disposition, one which is not naturally cultivated in our Western societies. It concerns, in a sense, the ability to bow in deep gratitude to another. The Venerable Chogyam Trungpa captured it well when he once said [paraphrasing], Transmission is like pouring tea into a cup. The cup must be lower than the teapot. This is just a statement of fact. It does not contain any hierarchy. If the cup is not below the teapot, the tea will not end up in the cup. Z

This path is perhaps a great bridge of incarnate understanding for a new generation. It is a path that may be able to assimilate many of our spiritual lineages without becoming fully embedded in, or beholden to, the religious frameworks that surround them. It is particularly those on this path who are tasked with bringing into existence an understanding for the youthful generation who aspires to the great ideals of humanity, but needs the deep wisdom of our collective spiritual paths, elders, and transmissions to embody those ideals. It is not a theoretical path, but one that has grown out of the praxis of the authors lives. All paths of an interspiritual nature are revolutionary. While they may not lead to a complete understanding of Ultimate Reality, they certainly increase our understanding of Humanity within Ultimate Reality. They require us to re-evaluate our traditions in the light of contemplative experience, in the revelations of other traditions, and in the context of what we have learned about the world through science and psychology. They also ask us to be mindful of the impulse that is incarnating in the new generation, and how we might pass on the wisdom we have inherited. 18 We end this section with another gem of wisdom from Brother Teasdales A Monk in the World, capturing some of the pitfalls and pearls of these interspiritual paths: In a sense, to pursueanintermysticalspirituallifeistobearealpioneeroftheSpirit.Itisnotaneasypath to travel, because not many maps exist yet, and many people fear losing their way, but it yields rich deposits of wisdom along the way. If we trust, keep moving on, and share our experience withothers,whileseekingtheiradvice,wewillbefine.Infact,uncertaintycanleadtoeven greaterspiritualrealizations.Withoutthefamiliarritualsandbeliefsofourtraditiontofallback on,wesometimescomeclosertorealizingthetruegoalsofreligion.36

36

Teasdale,Wayne,AMonkintheWorld,p.175

26

Epilogue:

TouchingtheHorizon
There is no word impossible for God. And this is precisely the task, to achieve what at first glance seems quite impossible: to unite Heaven and Earth, Flesh and Spirit, the World and God, Masculine and Feminine, Secular and Sacred. The Buddha Way is unattainable. I vow to attain it!
Ramon Panikkar, Blessed Simplicity
e situate new monasticism in terms of a movement, an organic arising of a deep desire to live a meaningful life and serve the world through our work and our compassion. It grows out of the desire to incarnate a contemporary spirituality, one that drinks deeply from the wells of human wisdom that have been dug throughout our ages, but one that also speaks to our modern sensibilities, to the unique occurrence of the coming together of the human race as one world, and that addresses the multiple and complex needs of a humanity in the throes of transition into a new and better world; a world where our differences are understood within the context of our unity as human beings, and where our diversity is celebrated, encouraged and supported; a world where what we do is worth much less than who we are, and what we produce is judged in terms of its sustainability and its contribution to the betterment of human relationships and the easing of suffering on our planet. The new monk may well be the beginnings of a physical manifestation of what is already true in the spiritual worlds, where a connected and collaborative effort of spiritual energies and truths work together and in harmony for the good of all life on our planet. This can be seen in the new monks ability to move seamlessly between wisdom traditions, art, music, solitude, hard work, community, and friendship.
27

New monasticism is a search for the deepest humanity in us all. It is in this search that we are all united, not only to our fellow monks, but to all who long to birth a new world that lives andbreathesoftheSpirit,toallwhodesiretocometotheutterdepthsoftheirbeing,and then to enter the world through that doorway. A new monk is one who feels the calling to herownEvolution,herowndepthofSpirit,herowntransformationalpath,andresponds. SheembarksonthispathinordertobetterserveallofLife,notknowingwherethisjourney will take her, but knowing that she can no longer view anything in her life as separate from thisjourney.Sheismotivatedbyheridealsofloveandcompassionforothers,aswellasan impenetrable belief in the Truth and Reality of human spiritual maturation; of its transformativepower,graceandsustainingground.Sheiscommittedtoservingtheworldingrowing degreesofsacrificiallove,skillfulwisdom,andjoy.Anysuchpersonmayrightlybecalleda new monk.

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The Foundation for New Monasticism

TheFoundationforNewMonasticismisanon-profitfoundationdedicatedtothevision articulated above. We envisage the Foundation as an inter-generational alliance dedicated to developing new models for contemplative life in the 21st century. The main focus of the Foundation will be on the new generation and its spiritual needs. The Foundation will gather elders and young contemplatives together in the spirit of developing a unique approach to spirituality, one that includes the gifts of the traditions as well as incorporates new emerging insights. The goal of the Foundation will be to offer transformative wisdom and guidance that speaks to the burgeoning needs of the new generation. It will consist of a mandala of projects andinitiatives,andbelowwedescribefourspecificprojectsthatwillbetheinitialfocusofthe Foundation. We believe these four projects give an overview of the spirit of the Foundation and will serve to anchor the vision of New Monasticism in a concrete way in the modern world. ThefirstprojectwillbeHAB.HABisanancientAramaicwordthatrepresentstheactive dimension of love. HAB will be an ecumenical and interspiritual contemplative fellowship for youngpeople.Itwillbeaimedspecificallytoworkoncollegecampuses.Thisprogramwill begin with educational programs and retreats for young people which will be co-taught in partnership with some of our most respected elders. The goal of HAB will be to speak to the most urgent existential needs of young people and to address their questions in the context of contemplative prayer and sacred friendship. While most young adults dont necessarily frame their existential longings in religious language, all young adults have spiritual needs. They often express them by asking questions related to their life calling. HAB will anchor itself around these vital questions, engaging young people in a deep process concerning their vocation and calling. Through means of spiritual direction, contemplative practice, and a unique vocational methodology, HAB will help young people to develop a vocational lifestyle that includes experiential glimpses of their true self and a way to build their lives aroundthis.HABwillthenendeavortosupportthefloweringofeachpersonsuniquecalling through gathering all of these young people into an informal network of small contemplative groups and communities, which can continue to inspire the participants to lead contemplative lives centered on ones unique talents in service of compassion and justice. Another project is the development of a long-term New Monastic formation process. We conceive of this process occurring over a time period of seven years, and modeling the more formal formation processes that occur in monasteries. This formation process would be the backbone of the Foundations educational program, leading to a core group of new monastics who can further this work in the world. A special feature of this program would
29

be a unique methodology that encourages elders to teach from life experience, as opposed to from the frameworks of their traditions. It has been said that when institutional narratives stop working, it is necessary to go to autobiographies. This will enable young people to drink deeply from our elders lived experience and connect to them beyond the religiousframeworks.MethodologiessuchasthatdevelopedbytheSnowmassInterSpiritual DialogueFellowship(formerlytheSnowmassConference)isanexampleofhowthispotent typeofspiritualleadershipcanwork.Itisawayofemphasizinglifechangingintimaciesthough a process of deep dialogue; where people meet each other in the context of an I-Thou relationship and both sides are changed in the process. In addition to this mentoring, the formation will also include daily contemplative work, intellectual study, psychological shadow work, sacred body practices, extended retreat periods, and long term work with a spiritual director who will help guide each aspirant on their journey. The intellectual study will be geared towards the formation of a solid interspiritual framework that can help people to integrate different streams of wisdom, including readings of traditional scriptures, the works of mystics, and a comparative understanding of the spiritual path and its states and stages as presented by the worlds wisdom traditions. We foresee this formation as a process that embodies and anchors what full commitment to the spiritual life looks like in the 21st century. Athirdcomponenttothisvisionisapublishingcompany,NewWayPublishing.Thiscanserve asanoutletfortheNewMonasticvoicetothewiderworldandanavenuetoinfluencethe broaderculture.Amajorpartofthepublishingcompanysfocuswillbetofindandmentor younger contemplative voices that can speak with contemplative wisdom and direct knowledge of the younger generation. It will also focus heartily on dialogues between young contemplatives and elders in the traditions, capturing the emerging spirit and wisdom of those encounters. The goal will be to produce books and publications that look young, speak to the young, and incorporate their questions and longings in its format, producing publicationsthatreflectthesynergisticnewimpulsehelpingtoshapewhatacontemplative culture in the modern age looks like. We feel that this niche is not something that is currentlyrepresentedinthepublishinglandscape,andthatNewWayPublishinghasthepotential to speak to the younger generation in a powerful way, connecting our deep contemplative roots to movements such as the Occupy movement, which is longing for a healthy spirituality that can enrich and authenticate their moral longing for a better world. New Way will concentrate on mainstream distribution in many forms, particularly to small contemplative communities, college campuses, theological seminaries, artist collectives, eco and intentional communitiesandactivistorganizations. AfinalcomponenttotheFoundationsinitialvisionistheestablishmentofasmall, interspiritual New Monastic ashram, where we could live and work and have a sacred space to incarnate the New Monastic vision. The hermitage would serve as a sacred symbol of the NewMonasticlife,aswellasprovidespaceforelderstovisit,smalldialoguestobeorganized,
30

and for people involved in the longer term, seven year formation process to spend longer periods of time in retreat. We envision Rory McEntee, Adam Bucko, and perhaps one or two elders as being permanent residences, with a few remaining small hermitages for visitors and a common space for joint meals, dialogues, a small library, a communal meditation space, and study. It would not be a traditional monastery, but rather an incarnation of what this New Monastic life looks like in our culture and society. For instance, the residents may be living fairly active lives in the world, involving the above projects and others, and also may be raising families. This sacred space will serve as a spiritual heartbeat, constantly beating its essence out into the world, and drawing the world ever deeper into it.

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ANoteonPraxis
Praxisistheprocessbywhichatheory,lesson,orskillisenacted,practiced,embodied,or realized.Withoutpraxis,thevisionremainsjustthat,avision.Theinterspiritualmovement hasgrownexponentiallyinitsfirstdecade,andthereismuchtolearnfromtheworkthat hasbeendone.Praxis,orhowweworkoutthesetheories,ideas,insights,andrealizationsin the practical details of life, and in the midst of a society which not only does not support the contemplative life, but in many ways is outright hostile to it (at least in the Western world), is for us at the heart of the matter. In bringing forth the following vision, we must be willing to learn from the past, to constantly reassess both our theories and how they are being applied, and must stay true to Jesus dictum, By their fruits ye shall know them.

Authors
Rory McEntee is a contemplative rooted in the tradition of interspirituality and new monasticism who works at an intersection of spirituality, education and culture. As a close friend and mentee of the late Brother Wayne Teasdale, he was part of the founding of the interspiritual movement. During that time he participated in dialogues and collaborated with many world spiritual leaders, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Currently, Rory is the administrator fortheSnowmassInterSpiritualDialogue,formerlyknownasTheSnowmassConference, foundedin1984byFatherThomasKeating,andamemberoftheLeadershipCircleforThe Community of the Mystic Heart. He works and collaborates with spiritual leaders from various traditions and is particularly interested in deep, contemplative formation processes for young people that can emerge from collaborative and intergenerational friendships among contemplatives. He credits elders like Joshi Baba-G, Fr. Thomas Keating and H.H. the Dalai Lama as his inspirations and mentors. Rory can be reached at: rmcentee21@gmail.com __ Adam Bucko is an activist, karma yogi, spiritual director to many of New Yorks homeless youthandanadvocateforacontemplativeapproachtosocialchange.In2004,Adam co-foundedtheReciprocityFoundation,anawardwinningnonprofitthatempowershomeless and at-risk youth to break the cycle of poverty. Inspired by the spiritual legacy of Fr. Bede Griffiths,AdamrecentlyfoundedHAB,aninterspiritualnewmonasticfellowshipforyoung people which offers formation in radical spirituality and sacred activism. The goals of this fellowship are to provide spiritual direction and contemplative mentoring, connecting young people with elders and mentors in order to build a movement of small communities who dedicate their lives to a contemplative life and to inspired, transformative action in the world. He is also a member of an intergenerational steering committee of The Contemplative Alliance, an organizationthatbringstogethercontemplativesandspiritualactivistsacrosstraditionstoaddress social problems and world issues. Adam can be reached at: adam@adambucko.com 32